


Caught Red-Handed

by spidersquid



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
Genre: F/M, Reader-Insert
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-11
Updated: 2018-03-11
Packaged: 2019-03-29 19:48:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,768
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13934052
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spidersquid/pseuds/spidersquid
Summary: The reader is caught between a rock and a hard place, and is driven to robbery. What happens when a certain masked vigilante catches her?





	Caught Red-Handed

_Okay, okay. I can do this._ You had a hoodie pulled up to cover your face, and you crept around the back of the store. You wouldn’t be stealing if you didn’t absolutely need to, but here you were.

You’d been planning it out for a while. Just take one of the small computers from the back of the store, and run like hell. You’d planned 3 escape routes, and even escape routes from _those_ escape routes. If you were going to commit a crime, you had to be thorough.

“Excuse me miss?” A cheery but worried voice called from behind you. You froze, staring at the shelves in front of you. “Can I help you?”

“Um, no. I’m all good.” You said, sweat already dripping down your forehead.

“...Okay.” She wasn’t buying it. You’d have to get this over with, fast. Out of the corner of your eyes, you saw her making a call at the front counter.

You spotted the object you needed. You turned on your heel, grabbing the heavy box, and bolted out of the store as fast as you could. Your heart was pounding out of your chest, and your adrenaline made you run faster than ever. You heard calls for you to stop, and you were almost positive you were being chased, but turning your head would only slow you down. Instead, you got into a crowded area and ducked into an alley.

Peter had been having a slow day. He sat perched atop a building doing physics homework. However, the shiver that ran down his back indicated that something had happened. There was shouting below him, and he tossed his homework aside and swung below to what was happening.

You sighed as you entered the alley, relaxing just the slightest bit. That is, until you heard a new voice behind you. _“Hey!”_

You whipped your head around in shock, seeing the one and only _Spider-man_ swinging after you.

“Shit!” You shouted, taking off yet again. You needed to get out of there, you needed to-

“Gotcha!” You heard him yell, and suddenly there was a tug on your elbow. You were yanked to the ground by the- _ugh, gross_ \- sticky web shit that he fired out.

He stood over you, hands on his hips. “You know, they have computers in like, libraries and stuff.”

You scrambled to your feet, arm clutched around the computer as you backpedalled. Spider-man wagged a finger at you, almost playfully. “Now, hold on a moment miss! I’m not finished with you.”

He webbed the computer from your hands with a _yoink,_ and tied your hands together.

Then you did something that neither you or Spider-man expected.

You took a shaky breath, began to cry. And not the pretty kind, either. Your head was pounding, you were starving, you’d lost one of your jobs. And now you were about to be arrested.

To say Spider-man was taken aback by this was an understatement. Most of the thieves he’d caught were way older, and mostly pretty scary. But here you were, a small teenage girl- a kid. Like him. And you were _crying_. Peter didn’t even know what to do when someone was crying normally. But comforting a thief he’d caught was whole other level of weird.

So he just put his hand on your shoulder. It was an awkward movement, one that shocked you out of your breakdown. “Hey, um… it’s okay? I can tell this is like, your first time doing this and stuff. So I’m going to give this to the police, tell them I lost you. But stay here, okay?” Spider-man tore the webbing off of your wrists, you staring into the eyes of his mask questioningly. “I’ll bring food if it’s any incentive!” He said, already swinging off with the computer.

This was your chance. You could run away, get home to your mother. But for some reason, your feet were glued to the pavement. The least you could do was ditch your sweatshirt and fix your hair a bit. You stood there for what seemed like ages until his voice snapped you out of it.

“Hey, you’re still here! I some sandwiches, and also some soda. You should’ve seen the look on the cashier’s face.”

When you didn’t respond, he pushed the bag into your hands. “Here, hold onto this while I get us somewhere cooler.” His arm wrapped around your waist, and before you could protest, the two of you were swinging through the streets.

You wished you could say you were cool about it. That you were amazed by the feeling of the wind in your hair, that you were taking in the beauty of the city. Instead, you screamed your head off.

“ _Oh my god! Holy shit holy shit holy shit holy shit put me down! Put me the hell down!”_ You wrapped your arms around his neck as tightly as you could, eyes squeezed shut.

You thought it would never be over until the two of you touched down on a roof. You turned on him angrily, him raising his hands defensively. “Sorry! I don’t really know how people will react to the heights.”

You rolled your eyes, but you could tell he was sorry. You sat down by the edge of the building, appreciating the view. The sun had started to set over the Queens skyline. Spider-man sat down beside you. He raised his mask just over his mouth, and began tearing into his sandwich. You ate yours too, the pain of your headache beginning to ebb away.

Spider-man broke the silence, clearing his throat. “So, you have a name?”

“It’s Y/N.”

“Nice. Cool.” He took another bite of his sandwich. “So, why’d you rob that store?”

You sighed, wiping your mouth. “It’s complicated.”

“Okay, so uncomplicate it.” You shot a glare at him. “Sorry, sorry! Continue.”

“My mom is sick. No dad in the picture. She couldn’t go back to her job once the leave of absence ended. So I’ve had to support her and my sister since.” Tears started welling up in your eyes. “I’ve had to work, like, 3 jobs to keep up with medical bills, and our health insurance has gone up like crazy. Not to mention food and every single other goddamn think they could charge us with. I thought, if I could make just a _little_ extra cash…”

You trailed off, wiping a tear. “It’s stupid. I shouldn’t have done something… illegal like that.”

“Hey, you were just trying to take care of your family.” He put a hand on your shoulder, but this time it was less awkward than before. “I know that feeling.”

The two of you watched the sun set in silence for a bit more. “What if…” Spider-man started, but trailed off. You nodded at him to continue. “I know a guy. He’d be able to find you a gig that pays for all that stuff. So you wouldn’t have to worry anymore.”

You looked skeptically at him. “What kind of a job? Because it sort of feels like you’re getting me into a human trafficking situation.”

Spider-man choked on the bite he had in his mouth. “No! God, no. Just, something you’re good at. Science, math, computers, art. Whatever it is.”

You looked at him, studying the area showing under his mask. You took note of a mole just on the left side of his face, slightly to the side of his mouth. “Okay. Whatever. Sounds kind of fake, but alright.”

Spider-man grinned, opening a soda can and raised it to you. You smiled back, opening yours as well, clinking them together. “To not working 3 jobs!”

You took a sip of the soda. “To not having to steal computers.”

You gave him the address to your home, and he swung you to the front door of your apartment complex. You were about to walk inside, when he called out, “Wait! I need your phone number.” You raised an eyebrow. “For, you know, the job.”

You rolled your eyes, but wrote it down on the receipt.

“Night, Spidey. Thanks for the sandwiches. And, you know. Not arresting me.”

“Any time, Y/N.”

You locked the door behind you, leaning against it and sighing.

“Y/N?” Your mother’s voice called out from her room. You dusted your jeans off, and walked into her room with a smile.

“Hey, Ma. Hell of a day at work.” You sat at the foot of her bed. “You take your meds?”

Peter swung away, feeling cautiously optimistic. He knew he recognized you from school, but now all he needed to do was talk to you. “ _Peter? You’ll need to contact Mr. Stark about this.”_ Karen’s voice rang out in his ears.

He sighed. “Give him a call.”

__________

It was the first good day in a while. You’d gotten the call in the morning about a job at Stark Industries, as a paid intern in the computer science department. _The_ Stark Industries! Your little sister had gotten to school without a hitch and on time, and on top of that you aced your Physics test.

As if things couldn’t be more predictable, as you were packing up your bags to go to lunch with your friends, someone tapped on your shoulder.

You turned around to meet the face of Peter Parker. You took note of the mole on his left cheek, and his height. “Hey, it’s Y/N, right? I’m Peter.”

You sighed, and kept packing your bag. “I know it’s you, Bugs-for-Brains.” It all fit in too perfectly. Peter was a nice guy who was notorious for flaking and going missing at weird times. And- get this- having an internship with Tony Stark

“How did you-”

“Mole on the left cheek. Height. Your voice hasn’t dropped yet. Need I continue, Spider-boy?” You shrugged your bag on your shoulders.

He groaned. “Whatever. And it’s Spider- _MAN._ ”

You laughed at the pink tint to his cheeks. You waved your friends off, walking with him in the hallways. “How about I treat you to dinner tonight? Paid for by your buddy Tony.”

Peter grinned at you. “What’d he put you in?”

“Computer Science. Weirdly good fit. I start today after school.” You poked him. “Guess we’re both internship kids now, huh?”

He rolled his eyes. “Your requirements are completely different than mine.”

“Same difference.” You waved him off. “Really though. Thank you.”

“It’s not a problem at all.” The two of you walked in silence for a few moments. “You should eat lunch with me and my friends today.”

“I’d like that.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you guys for reading! This is my first fic I'm publishing, so please be gentle with me lol. Peter Parker is my fave and Homecoming is great, I just felt like the world always needs more Peter Parker x Reader.


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